Reboot
by Loopstagirl
Summary: There is an unwelcome surprise waiting for the boys. One John didn't think he would have ever been ready to face, even with warning.


_Disclaimer: I own nothing, all rights belong to their respective owners._

_I'm... not even sorry. I just could not resist it!_

* * *

"This better be good," John grumbled to himself as he navigated his way through the villa. It wasn't often he got the chance to just sit and relax in his room, so he had been less than impressed when he got the call through from Gordon that Brains wanted to see them all in his lab. It was unlike Brains to summon them in such a way though so John knew it would be foolish to not go. If it was something important, then Scott would never let him forget it.

He could hear the sounds of the others making their way towards the lab and John quickened his pace. He didn't like the attention being on him the best of times, the last thing he wanted was to arrive late and have them all waiting on him. As it was, he got there at the same time as Virgil and the two entered together.

Gordon was already in the room, and John couldn't read the expression on his brother's face. It seemed to be torn between amusement and absolute horror and John found himself glancing around, looking for Scott to see what was going on. Scott was standing on the opposite side of the room, but when John caught his eye, the older man just shook his head.

They all stood in silence until Alan came skidding into the room, flushed and out of breath. John decided that he just didn't want to know what his youngest brother had been up to. That was the beauty of spending most of his time in space, he could disconnect with just a button if he wanted to. It wasn't so easy down on earth.

"So… what's up?" Virgil eventually said. Gordon and Scott seemed to know, but neither were saying anything. As Virgil spoke, Brains entered his lab from the far door, a stack of papers in his hand. As the man moved, John caught a glimpse and realised there seemed to be some sort of drawings on them. He glanced at Virgil, but the artist shook his head. This was nothing to do with him.

Brains didn't face them for a while, too busy setting up what it was he wanted to show them. If Virgil didn't know what the drawings were, then John could only assume they were specs for upgrades to the machinery and found excitement beginning to emerge. He loved looking at what was planned for their machines, especially when he understood what it was saying. It was something he could share with Virgil and John always looked forward to those times.

But when Brains stepped back, he suddenly understood Gordon's reaction.

"What the hell is that?" Virgil asked, his voice far calmer than John was feeling. He took a step forward, tilting his head to one side as if that was going to make it any different.

"Is that us?"

"What are we wearing?"

"What do we look like?"

"You can't complain, Scott, at least you still look like you…"

"I do not look like that…"

"Brains, what is this?" John finally managed to make himself heard over his brothers, although he could completely understand their disbelief. It was clear the sketches were indeed supposed to be them, although there seemed to be some sort of changes to their uniform.

"N-new d-designs," Brains muttered, pushing his slipping glasses back onto his nose and avoiding their gazes. "Your f-father thought your u-u-uniforms needed to be updated."

"Brains," John was surprised at how calm Scott's voice was as he stepped forward and examined the sketches in more detail. "If you think I'm ever going to wear lyrca out on a rescue…"

"Oh come on, Scott, it's not that bad."

"For you it's not, Gords. You're used to wearing stuff like that."

"And those sashes," Virgil had joined in now, stepping forward until he was standing next to Scott. "How are we supposed to operate the Mole in an enclosed space if we have half a Thunderbird tied around us?"

John had to admit Virgil had a point - something that bulky would only hinder their movement and possibly be a danger on a rescue. But John had a bigger problem, something that none of the others seemed to have yet noticed. As they all stood there and voiced their opinions on various aspects of the new designs, John found himself slowly backing up until he could find a chair he could sink into in horror. Eventually, Scott realised he was quiet.

"Johnny? What is it?"

"What," John began, his voice nothing more than a horrified whisper, "have they done to my hair?"

There was a hush for a moment before Alan unsuccessfully tried to cover up his snort of amusement. As if he had to make sure the changes hadn't yet taken place, John's hand lifted until he could touch his hair, checking that everything was still where it should be.

"I kind of like it," Alan murmured, ignoring the horrified looks his brothers shot him. Gordon moved closer.

"Thought you would."

"Why?"

"We look like some sort of boyband. The type, I might add, that Tin-Tin has posters on her wall of."

Judging by the way Alan went crimson and didn't have a retort, John knew that Gordon had got it in one. It was only then that he noticed Brains had somehow slipped from the room, clearly not wanting to face them any longer.

"I don't think he designed them," John said quietly, forcing himself to drop his hands from his head and not think about his hair any longer. He supposed it was just a good thing they had lost the hats, at least that wouldn't be another threat to his hair. "He wouldn't make us look like that."

"You're right," Virgil murmured, finally turning his back on the drawings with a full body shudder. "Brains knows us too well to think we would ever wear something like that. We look like some sort of performing circus, not International Rescue."

"You know what the true question is?" Gordon asked, hitching himself up onto the nearest surface and ignoring Scott's glare to get down again. "What are we going to do about it? We can't go out looking like that!"

Their father would have been both proud and astonished. But for the first time in years, all five brothers actually agreed on something. Now all that remained was finding a course of action that would result in the plans just conveniently being lost and destroyed for good.

It looked like it was time to employ Gordon's talents for once.


End file.
